The documentary genre has recently gone through challenging times as the 21st century and its culture are characterised as both postmodern and “post-documentary”. This means that an attitude towards knowledge has evolved that rejects modernity’s belief in universal truth and its privileging of techno-scientific modes of discovery – such as documentary film. As a result viewers treat grand narratives about political ideology in media with suspicion. Consequently, questions arise around how political documentaries are able to voice social critique and bring about change in this new context without getting accused of outright manipulation?
In order to answer these questions, this work analyses Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing (2012) and The Look of Silence (2014) about the 1965 killings in Indonesia. Oppenheimer employs an innovative approach as never before have mass murderers been recorded in the making of a film about their crimes (TAoK), nor has there ever been a film where a victim confronts the perpetrators while the perpetrators are still in power (TLoS). This work looks at the potential for feelings of closeness with the perpetrators and victims resulting from the complementary film documents. The findings show that Oppenheimer avoids ideological claims by inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the lives of the protagonists. Viewers shall draw individual conclusions that are stimulated by a heightened perceptual experience of the filmic world.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1.0 Introduction
- 2.0 Film Descriptions and Global Resonance
- 3.0 The Taxonomy of Modes.
- 3.1 Cursory overview of the Main Documentary Modes..
- 3.2 TAOK and TLOS classified as Performative Documentaries
- 3.3 The Performative Mode and Fiction .....
- 4.0 Empathy, Identification and Appraisal in Films
- 4.1 The Outline of a Model.
- 4.2 Methodical Procedure/ Approach.
- 5.0 Developing Schemata for an Intended Reception.
- 5.1 Schemata for an Intended Reception of TAOK..
- 5.2 Schemata for an Intended Reception of TLOS.
- 6.0 Getting Access to the Film Protagonists..
- 6.1 Getting an understanding of the Perpetrators in TAOK
- 6.2 Getting an understanding of the Perpetrators in TLOS
- 6.3 Getting an understanding of the Victims in TLOS..
- 7.0 The films' goals and conflicts.
- 7.1 Pointing Viewers towards the Concealed Remorse in TAOK.
- 7.2 Pointing viewers towards the Concealed Remorse in TLOS
- 8.0 Preparing the ground for confrontations
- 8.1 Decreasing fear in TAOK...
- 8.2 Enforcing fear in TLOS
- 8.3 Involvement in the Killings Explained in TAOK
- 8.4 Individualisation versus Stereotyping.
- 9.0 Confrontation in TAoK/ Fishing for Testimony
- 9.1 The Politics of Friendship.
- 9.2 Suryono's Interogation
- 9.3 Confronting the Perpetrators in TLOS.
- 10.0 Working towards the films' climaxes.
- 10.1 Experiencing Anwar's Nightmare
- 10.2 Reaching the Emotional Climax of TAOK.
- 10.3 Heightening viewers' understanding of Adi's Predicament....
- 10.4 Reaching the emotional Climax of TLOS.
- 11.0 Summary and Outlook.....
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This research paper examines the strategies for affective engagement in genocide documentaries, specifically focusing on Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence. It aims to analyze how these films utilize performative elements, audience schemata, and confrontational techniques to achieve their objectives and elicit specific responses from viewers.
- The evolution of the documentary genre in the postmodern era and its impact on representation strategies.
- The performative mode of documentary filmmaking and its potential to engage audiences on an emotional level.
- The role of empathy, identification, and appraisal in understanding the audience's response to documentaries.
- The use of re-enactments and investigative techniques to unveil the consequences of genocide.
- The challenges and opportunities of analyzing reception potentials in documentaries, particularly in the context of post-documentary culture.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction establishes the context for the research by exploring the historical discourse of objective representation in media and the evolution of the documentary genre. It highlights the challenges of achieving a "true/real" representation of reality in film and the changing perceptions of documentary as a genre. The paper then introduces the two films under analysis, The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, and their unique contribution to the documentary landscape.
Chapter 2 provides an overview of the films' descriptions and their global resonance. It explores the historical context of the 1965 killings in Indonesia and how the films have been received by audiences worldwide. Chapter 3 delves into the taxonomy of documentary modes, focusing on the classification of The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence as performative documentaries. This chapter examines the performative mode and its relationship to fiction.
Chapter 4 explores the concepts of empathy, identification, and appraisal in the context of film reception. It outlines a model for analyzing the audience's emotional engagement with documentaries. Chapter 5 focuses on developing schemata for an intended reception of the two films, taking into account the specific contexts and audiences.
Chapter 6 examines the strategies used to gain access to the film protagonists. It analyzes how Oppenheimer gained an understanding of the perpetrators in The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, as well as the victims in The Look of Silence. Chapter 7 explores the films' goals and conflicts, particularly the attempt to point viewers towards the concealed remorse of the perpetrators.
Chapter 8 discusses the preparation of the ground for confrontations in both films. It analyzes how Oppenheimer decreases fear in The Act of Killing, enforces fear in The Look of Silence, and explains the perpetrators' involvement in the killings. Chapter 9 delves into the confrontation scenes in The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, analyzing the dynamics of friendship, interrogation, and confrontation.
Chapter 10 examines the films' climaxes. It analyzes how Oppenheimer uses narrative elements and emotional appeals to create a powerful climax in both films. This chapter explores the emotional journey of the viewers and their understanding of the characters' predicaments.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This research paper explores the key concepts of performative documentaries, affective engagement, genocide, re-enactment, audience schemata, reception potentials, post-documentary culture, and the films The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence. It examines how these films utilize strategies to engage audiences emotionally and challenge traditional notions of documentary filmmaking.
- Quote paper
- John Nicolas Helferich (Author), 2016, Engaging Killer Performances. Strategies for Affective Engagement in Genocide Documentaries, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/340334
